In recent years, the study of Muslims and Islam has increased due to the
current political climate and various conflicts around the world. The issuing
of Islamic legal rulings, otherwise known as fatāwā, has drawn interest from
Muslims and non-Muslims. This paper seeks to discuss the development of
fatāwā from the early Islamic era and its importance to Muslims throughout
history. The prominence of the internet and social media has been integral
in the dissemination of Islamic rulings throughout the world in the current
age. In effect, this has given a platform to many individuals who possess
varying levels of Islamic scholarship to issue legal reasoning at will. The
author discusses polarisation and confusion within the Muslim community
due to Islamic legal rulings being so vastly available on the internet. Several
fatāwā are presented to show the disparity in interpreting Islamic
jurisprudence; as a result, a single enquiry regarding ritual worship by a
layman may produce multiple answers based on different understandings
of the Qur’ān and Hadīth (Prophetic statements). Likewise, the author
discusses the classical Islamic ideal regarding the role of a mufti (an issuer
of Islamic legal rulings) and how this has changed. Classically, a mufti was
perceived as an individual who possessed knowledge of various sciences and
exhibited great piety; his views would be highly instrumental in shaping the
methodology practiced by Muslims. At present, the credentials of a web
muftī are obscure which has made their work difficult to accept or critique.
This research paper details such issues and highlights how the concept of
fatāwā has changed from the early Islamic era to the current, digital age
